One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. To make the point 1, he used an illustration.
As he stood in front of the group, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” He then pulled out a wide-mouth jar and set it on the table. Then he 2 placed about a dozen fist-sized rocks, one by one, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the 3 and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar 4?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”
“Really?” Then he 5 under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel(石子), dumped some in and 6 the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces 7 the big rocks. Then he asked the group the same question. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!”  He replied.
He reached under the table and 8 a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the 9 left between the rocks and the gravel. 10 he asked the question. “No!” the class shouted. “Good!” Then he grabbed a can of water and began to pour it in 11 the jar was filled to the brim.
Then the expert in time management looked at the class and asked, “What is the 12 of this illustration?” It is such a seemingly easy question that one 13 student raised his hand and said, “It is, however full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always 14 some more things in it.
“No,” the speaker replied. “The truth it teaches us is that you will 15 get them in at all if you don't put the big rocks in first. 16 the big rocks in your life are, do things that you love and 17 for yourself. In your schedule if you value the little stuff then you’ll fill your life with 18 things and you will never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are 19 on this short story, ask yourself what the ‘big rocks’ in your life are. Then put those in your 20 first. ”

【小題1】

A．harder B．rougher C．clearer D．wiser

【小題2】

A．carefully B．firmly C．a(chǎn)ctively D．unwillingly

【小題3】A edge        B. bottom        C. wall        D. top

【小題4】

A．full B．pure C．enough D．smooth

【小題5】

A．sent B．reached C．managed D．felt

【小題6】

A．delivered B．shook C．dropped D．held

【小題7】

A．beneath B．a(chǎn)cross C．beyond D．between

【小題8】

A．threw out B．came out C．brought out D．set out

【小題9】

A．spaces B．caves C．blanks D．holes

【小題10】

A．At last B．shortly after C．Later on D．Once more

【小題11】

A．unless B．until C．before D．while

【小題12】

A．result B．opinion C．point D．comment

【小題13】

A．calm B．a(chǎn)wkward C．nervous D．eager

【小題14】

A．a(chǎn)dd B．fit C．include D．collect

【小題15】

A．never B．even C．still D．ever

【小題16】

A．Whether B．However C．Whatever D．Which

【小題17】

A．conclude B．encourage C．a(chǎn)chieve D．value

【小題18】

A．more B．little C．much D．less

【小題19】

A．reflecting B．counting C．deciding D．insisting

【小題20】

A．packet B．can C．jar D．luggage

Speech—the act of uttering sounds to convey meaning—is a kind of human action. Like any other constantly repeated action, speaking has to be learned, but once it is learned, it becomes a generally unconscious and apparently automatic process.

As far as we can determine, human beings do not need to be forced to speak; most babies seem to possess a sort of instinctive drive to produce speech like noises. How to speak and what to say are another matter altogether. There actions are learned from the particular society into which the baby is born; so that, like all conduct that is learned from a society—from the people around us—speech is a patterned activity.

The meandering(漫目無(wú)地的)babble(咿呀學(xué)語(yǔ))and chatter of a young child are eventually channeled by imitation into a few orderly grooves that represent the pattern accepted as meaningful by the people around him. Similarly, a child’s indiscriminate(不加分辨的)practice of putting things into his mouth becomes limited to putting food into his mouth in a certain way.

The sounds that a child can make are more varied and numerous than the sounds that any particular language uses. However, a child born into a society with a pattern of language is encouraged to make a small selection of sounds and to make these few sounds over and over until it is natural for him to make these sounds and not others.

1.For an adult, the process of speaking usually involves___________________ .

A．conscious selection of sounds	B．imitation of those around him
C．a(chǎn) drive to make noises	D．unconscious actions

2.The selection says that most babies have an instinctive drive to __________ .

A．express ideas in words	B．make speech like noise
C．convey meaning	D．imitate sounds around them

3.Conduct that is learned from a society may be called___________________ .

A．instinctive drive

B．selection

C．a(chǎn)utomatic activity

D．patterned activity

4.The sounds that a child is able to make are  ___________________ .      .

A．not as varied as those used in language

B．more varied and numerous than those in any language

C．far fewer than those needed to form a language

D．completely different from the sounds of language

5.We may say that a child has learned to speak if he  ___________________ .     .

A．makes varied sounds

B．carefully considers each sound he makes

C．makes only certain sounds naturally

D．imitates people around him

 

One of the most common complaints I hear from families is that they are not close. They may be close in proximity, but still not feel close as a 36_. They may live next door or in the same house, but not feel 37 .

Closeness is about  38 . We feel close when we feel 39 ,  when we feel loved and when we simply enjoy being together. We may live far apart and still feel close, or we may 40 a home yet feel distant.

Closeness is a family trait that  41 over time. It is planted by love, watered by honest sharing and fed by true listening. It grows slowly and sometimes 42 years to mature; but it’s roots grow deep. It can 43 most storm and sustain a family through the most 44 time.

I received a letter from a reader in Hawaii. She 45 out that the CEO of one of the island’s largest banks was  46 a run for governor. Since he was well—liked, he seemed to have a good 47 of winning.

But before filing papers, he 48 his mind, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his 49 . Not that elected officials cannot be family—oriented, but he felt he needed more time at home than the job 50 .

Ronald A Young, in the Honolulu Advertiser, said this about the candidate’s decision：”No matter what you 51 in the business world or the social world, if you fail the family, then you have not accomplished much. Failure or success does not 52 in the material wealth you provide them. It is 53 by what of yourself you give to them.”

He made a 54 to give the best of himself to his family. He 55 family closeness first, despite pressure to put more time elsewhere. It’s likely a decision he’ll never regret.

36．A. house	B. home	C. family	D. group
37．A. physically	B. emotionally	C. behaviorally	D. officially
38．A. attitude	B. points	C. ambition	D. ideas
39．A. misunderstood	B. understood	C. annoyed	D. disappointed
40．A. share	B. stay	C. live	D. keep
41．A. grows	B. changes	C. stays	D. happens
42．A. pays	B. spends	C. takes	D costs
43．A. weather	B. carry	C. keep	D. protect
44．A. happy	B. difficult	C. joyful	D. funny
45．A. pointed	B. set	C. put	D. gave
46．A. thinking	B. considering	C. expecting	D. waiting
47．A. sign	B. mark	C. score	D. chance
48．A. kept	B. changed	C. stuck	D. made
49．A. family	B. friends	C. people	D. officials
50．A. provided	B. allowed	C. had	D. gave
51．A. complete	B. finish	C. get	D. accomplish
52．A. lie	B. result	C. say	D. happen
53．A. concerned	B. tested	C. measured	D. examined
54．A. plan	B. solution	C. promise	D. decision
55．A. took	B. brought	C. chose	D. held

Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance(零花錢) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be going in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn — and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil — and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns(欄), list your sources of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance (零花錢)	$20.00.	Snacks	$20.00
Money earned selling drinks	$25.00	Music downloads	$12.00
Money earned babysitting	$12.50.	Movies	$18.00
Money earned delivering newspapers	$30.00	Video rental	$10.00
Total	$87.50	Total	$66.00

1. Who is the passage written for?
A. Children.      B. Parents.     C. Breadwinners.    D. Bank managers.
2. The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
A. learn to be realistic              B. increase their saving 
C. manage their money well            D. test their power-control
3. What should people do when planning a budget?
A. Fill in the expenses as they really are.    
B. Avoid spending money on expensive things.
C. Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.
D. List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.
4. Which of the following budgets is effective?
A.

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expenses	Amount
Allowance(零花錢)	$20.00	Money earned walking dogs	$20.00
Bus fares	$40.00	Movies	$28.00
Total	$60.00	Total	$48.00

B. 

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expenses	Amount
Allowance(零花錢)	$20.00	Movies	$30.00
Money earned washing cars	$10.00	Bus fares	$10.00
Total	$30.00	Total	$40.00

C. 

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expenses	Amount
Allowance(零花錢)	$27.50	Money earned selling drinks	$22.00
Money earned	$22.50	Birthday gifts	$28.00
Total	$50.00	Total	$50.00

D. 

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expenses	Amount
Allowance(零花錢)	$26.00	Radio rentals	$22.00
Money earned doing yard work	$24.00	Birthday gifts	$28.00
Total	$50.00	Total	$50.00

5. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. the importance of making a budget        B. how to make a budget
C. how to form good habits   D. how to spend money

 

How to Make a Budget (預(yù)算)

Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花錢) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be going in no time.

Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn --- and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.

Sample Monthly Budget
Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expenses	Amount
Allowance	$20.00	Snacks	$26.00
Money earned selling drinks	$25.00	Music downloads	$12.00
Money earned babysitting	$12.50	Movies	$18.00
Money earned delivering newspapers	$30.00	Video rentals	$10.00
Total:	$87.50	Total:	$66.00

First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (欄), list your sources (來(lái)源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.

The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.

Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.

If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!

1.Who is the passage written for?

   A. Children.      B. Parents.        C. Breadwinners.       D. Bank managers.

2.The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.

   A. learn to be realistic             B. increase their saving

   C. manage their money well        D. test their power-control

3.What should people do when planning a budget?

   A. Fill in the expenses as they really are.

   B. Avoid spending money on expensive things.

   C. Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.

   D. List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.

4.Which of the following budgets is effective?